Port Blair, May 31: The week-long All India Protest against Price Rise and Unemployment jointly by five Left Parties in the country from 25th May 2002 has come to an end today. In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, CPI (M) has organized public meetings, corner meetings, mike announcements, etc. at Port Blair and outstations. CPI (M) has organized a public meeting at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazar, Port Blair today (31.05.2022) which was attended by a large number of Party workers and sympathizers.
Addressing the public meeting, Shri D. Ayyappan, Secretary, CPI (M) A & N State Organising Committee criticized the central government for the sky-rocketing prices of all the essential commodities and said that the central government has failed to arrest the soaring prices which have increased the burden on the people from all walks of life. He explained in brief the surcharges/cess charged by the central government on petrol, diesel and LPG and demanded to roll back it immediately. He briefly touched each of the demands on which the All India Protest was conducted by Left Parties in the country and CPI (M) in these islands. Referring to the unemployment in the islands, Shri Ayyappan demanded that the Central Government and A & N Administration should immediately take steps to fill the nearly ten thousands of posts lying vacant under the Administration.
Shri D. Laxman Rao, State Secretariat Member of the Party, who presided over the meeting, while addressing the meeting dealt with the frequent power cuts in the islands and drinking water scarcity. He said that people are fed up with the frequent power disruption and demanded to take effective measures to contain the power cut. Addressing the meeting, Shri B. Chandrachoodan, State Secretariat Member of the party threw light to the injustice being meted out to the workers working in various departments under the Administration. He said that court orders in favour of workers are not being implemented by the Administration to harass the affected workers. Rights of workers are being curtailed or complete taken away. The demands highlighted during the All India Protest Week include (i) Roll back of all surcharges/cess on petroleum products (ii) strengthen PDS by distributing all essential commodities particularly pulses and edible oils, (iii) direct cash transfer of Rs. 7,500 per month to all non-income tax paying families (iv) increase MGNREGS allocation and legislate Central Scheme for unemployment allowance, (v) legislate employment guarantee scheme for urban areas, (vi) fill up all vacant posts, etc.